


Dream & Memory Hero

by wh33zy



Series: Of Tigers and Bunnies [11]
Category: Tiger & Bunny
Genre: Cooking, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Gen, M/M, Why do I do this to myself, but then it gets emotional, cooking dinner for bae
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-22
Updated: 2020-04-22
Packaged: 2021-03-01 18:15:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,601
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23781439
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wh33zy/pseuds/wh33zy
Summary: Kotetsu finds out accidentally (and when he wasn't supposed to) what images Barnaby was using as his backgrounds for all of his tech.
Relationships: Barnaby "Bunny" Brooks Jr./Kaburagi T. Kotetsu
Series: Of Tigers and Bunnies [11]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1332236
Kudos: 85





	Dream & Memory Hero

Kotetsu knew that spamming the doorbell probably wasn’t a good idea, since he’d be met with a glare once the door opened, but nobody seems to be answering anyway. He spent almost a couple hours after he got home to make Barnaby dinner that would feed him for a few days since he’s pretty inept at the art of home-cooked food. It’s not really his fault; he’s too busy and when he’s not, he’s too tired. Also, when his partner asks for something, Kotetsu finds it hard to say ‘no’. Especially when he asked for food like this: 

They had gotten back from a successful HEROTV broadcast, changing back into their civvies in the locker room. Kotetsu couldn’t remember what he was going on about as he brushed off the top of his hat before putting it on his head when his partner’s tone shifted. 

“Hey, Kotetsu?” 

It’s enough to make the older man fully turn around to look at him. He was sitting on the bench behind him, having just finished tying his white boots. There was color on his cheeks, a hand rubbing the back of his neck because he seemed a little embarrassed (something he picked up from being around Kotetsu so much). 

“Yeah?” He answers, closing his locker. 

“Would you...mind making me dinner?” He asks, a small, bashful smile on his face. “I just eat out a lot because I don’t have time to cook and I’m tired of our usual places.” That smile left when Kotetsu didn’t give him much of a reaction. “You don’t have to-”

The veteran only grins at him and shakes his head at that. “No, no, what d’you want me to make you?” 

Barnaby’s face brightens which Kotetsu can’t help but find  _ so  _ endearing. “Fried rice.” 

His partner deflates at that. “I can make more than  _ that  _ you know.” But with a dismissive wave of his hand at the missed opportunity to flex his other cooking skills, “Whatever you want. I’ll make you enough fried rice and sides to last you a couple days. How’s that sound?” 

“Perfect. Thank you.” There are a lot of times where the blond doesn’t look so content with life, so these are moments they both can’t help but savor. “Sorry, I know you’re busy-”

Kotetsu only leans down to kiss the top of his head, right where he parts his hair. “You can  _ always  _ ask me to cook for you.” He then slides his knuckle under Barnaby’s chin which coaxes him to look up at his new boyfriend which makes him expect a kiss. But the tip of his nose is softly booped instead. This will give something the younger man can swoon about later anyway. “I’ll come by at around seven if that’s okay?” 

And for the record, it  _ was  _ okay because Kotetsu  _ did  _ show up at around seven (like 6:45-ish) which is early! He’s  _ never  _ early for anything! And now he’s stuck spamming the doorbell for a certain someone who  _ said  _ they’d be home!

Barnaby does rush over to his doorbell camera, hissing a curse or two as he gripped the towel wrapped tightly around his waist- 

Which, any irritation from waiting outside was immediately remedied by the sight of wet hair and no shirt on that little screen. “Hey! Didn’t forget about  _ me, _ didja?” 

“You’re  _ early.” _ He huffs because it’s  _ just like  _ Kotetsu to be early when he was expecting him to be late. “I’m unlocking the door. Just wait for me in the living room.” 

“Sure.” 

The screen goes black, the door hisses and clicks, leaving Kotetsu to just press the button to open it. He looked around for Barnaby but he had already retreated to his bedroom to get dressed much to his disappointment. Closing the door behind him, he hauls the totebag of food over to the black lounge chair so he could sit down. When he does, all the lights turn off and the large computer screen covering the entire wall turns on. 

“Aw,  _ shit…!”  _ He curses as he stands right back up, looking at the remote he sat on. He picks it up, replacing where it lied with the bag of food. He tries to remember which button would reverse everything he’d done, but nothing’s  _ labeled-  _

The gradual shift in the color of the room drags his attention to the screen. It was a picture of himself, smiling while signing his autograph at a fan meetup as Barnaby’s laptop background picture. The picture gradually fades away, revealing another picture of Kotetsu under it, a selfie Agnes made him take for his social media accounts. It fades again to one of his few modeling photos that he had ever taken, since demand for him to model is very  _ low  _ (which he’s ‘ _ totally not’  _ the tiniest bit sad about that). There’s another photo of him laughing at some joke during a company party (probably faking it a little because Agnes has yelled at him too many times about actually socializing when at an event), a half-full glass of champagne in one hand. The next moment that floats to the surface is he and Barnaby with their matching suits, sitting together with an interviewer across from them. He doesn’t remember them leaning on each other as they laughed at some joke the host said. 

Barnaby emerges from his bedroom, confused about why the lights were off until he notices Kotetsu looking a little emotional at his computer screen. Before the blond could see whatever he  _ wasn’t  _ supposed to be looking at, his partner notices him and asks, “Aw,  _ Bunny!  _ You have  _ me  _ as your background? I mean, I was joking when I said I should be, but-” 

The heat spreading from his cheeks and all the way up to his ears would be a dead giveaway that his boyfriend knew  _ exactly  _ what he was talking about... _ if the lights were on.  _ But, there’s no use in playing dumb, so he can do  _ this,  _ “Why are you on my computer?” 

“I was  _ trying  _ to sit down on your chair here and I sat on the remote, sorr-” Then he narrows his eyes, instantly catching on to what Barnaby was doing. “Wait, why am  _ I  _ your background? Where’d you even get all these pictures o’ me?” One of Kotetsu’s main talents is camera dodging! 

Barnaby accepts his defeat, “I hope you don’t mind. I just…” He was hoping to show him  _ later  _ when he felt less embarrassed about it! To curb the need to fidget, he fully enters his living room, plucks the remote from his partner’s hand, and turns it off. “My therapist suggested that I change my backgrounds to something that makes me happy and... _ reminds  _ me of good things.” He takes his time turning the lights back on. Then he tries to further hide his blush by going over to the small table by his chair to put the remote down. “It’s so I can sleep and handle stress better. Although I do have good memories of my parents,” He picks up the one framed picture that he pulled from the ashes over twenty years ago, admiring the proud smiles of them for just a moment. “He told me it may not be the best idea to have them be something I constantly see everyday since it could be doing more harm than good. I think he’s right.” It’s not that he’s working to forget them,  _ never,  _ but the strong association that they have with the  _ trauma  _ could stall everything from progress to his overall health.

“Do...Do my pictures help you at all?” Is asked quietly and strained.

The blond admits it with a nod and a smile when turning around, the pinkness on his cheeks fading some. “Yeah, they do.  _ A lot.  _ I’m not afraid to go to sleep anymore.” Because every night, he stalls in going to sleep by scrolling through his phone. When he finds himself unable to keep his eyes open anymore, he closes all of his apps and sees the homescreen of Kotetsu’s  _ kind, _ slightly crooked smile. It’s enough to put him at ease.

__ Barnaby cocks an eyebrow when he notices the look on the brunet’s face. “Are you alright?” 

Kotetsu’s brows were drawn up and tears began glossing up his eyes. He nods before quickly walking over and throwing his arms around his neck in a tight embrace. He closes his eyes and sighs through his nose when he feels Barnaby’s arms tighten around him. It’s just so  _ sad;  _ he can’t look at his parents and that it’s recommended that he doesn’t because all the warmth his parents gave him will never outweigh all that trauma. All that he’s been through, and he can’t even get a good night’s rest from it all.

At the same time, Kotetsu is so glad; the older man also never thought he would ever be the one to make someone happy like this; to a point where just the sight of his face is a source of comfort. He’s so  _ happy  _ to be something  _ good  _ and-

There’s a growling noise that quickly tapers off into a whale’s cry. 

“Sorry.” Barnaby quietly chuckles. 

At least that helps the need to cry to cease. “Hungry?” Kotetsu breathlessly laughs back as he pulls away, using the heel of his palm to wipe his eyes. 

“Very.” 

“Lemme go fix you a pl-” 

But first, the younger man’s hands firmly placed themselves on either side of his face to kiss him. It was meant to be comforting, to help dry his tears as well as a heartfelt ‘thank you’. 

**Author's Note:**

> ...had no idea how to end this story but I was excited to share it with y'all! 
> 
> Stay healthy out there, folks!


End file.
